Yingtao lay about sixty li from Pingji. Cultivators at the Extraordinary Meridian stage or above could ride flat out without sparing their horses and arrive within two hours. An organized cavalry force with full equipment, however, might need four hours even without baggage. Including preparations, that could take another half hour or hour.
A little over two hours after the first messenger, Su Jingfang, had left, Li Ding reckoned he had arrived and dispatched a second messenger with a letter.
It informed Deng Long that the Wuan Army was exhausted from its long march and had clearly left some of its highly cultivated fighters behind to secure its retreat. Its siege preparations were therefore progressing extremely slowly, and its soldiers were gradually losing their strength. Deng Long was asked to send assistance at once, or the Wuan Army might withdraw and flee straight east to Xindu, which would be troublesome.
Another two hours passed. After the first messenger, Su Jingfang, took the trouble to return and confirmed that reinforcements had been promised, Li Ding estimated that they had already set out and dispatched a third messenger with another letter.
This informed the Youzhou army that the Wuan Army had been unable to hold on and had withdrawn. Its main force was indeed fleeing toward Xindu, but a small portion had clearly scattered and fled into the surrounding countryside. Governor Zhang had too few troops to venture out rashly and asked General Deng to hurry to Pingji for a discussion in person.
Once the messenger had left, Li Ding issued orders in quick succession. First, he detached two thousand troops, assigned by Su Mu, to leave Pingji and "pursue" in all directions, while keeping bystanders away from the official road along which the reinforcements would approach. Next, he ordered the remaining